THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
25 DECEMBER 2021
There
are four different sets of readings assigned to the Solemnity of
Christmas. The Gospel determines the
tone for each one. For those who
participate at the 4:00 or 6:30 Masses, the Gospel is from Matthew. Saint Matthew tells the Christmas story from
the perspective of Saint Joseph. When Joseph
learns in a dream that Mary has conceived a child through the Holy Spirit, he
welcomes Mary as his wife. If you come
to Midnight Mass, Saint Luke tells the story of Joseph and Mary arriving in
Bethlehem, where they find no room in the Inn.
The child is born in a stable, and angels proclaim to lowly shepherds
the Good News. At the 9:00 Mass on
Christmas Day, Saint Luke relates what happens after the shepherds have left.
Mary reflects in her heart all that has happened. At the 11:00 Mass, we hear the magnificent
prologue of the Gospel of Saint John. He
speaks of Jesus as the eternal Word of God without any beginning. In the Christmas Miracle, the Word took on
human flesh and dwells among us.
Centuries
ago, Saint Francis of Assisi realized that it is important to approach the
Mystery of the Incarnation with a childlike faith. For that reason, he established the first
crèche. He built a stable and brought in
farm animals. He invited the local
community to play the roles of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the
magi. To this day, our children gaze on
the crèche in the Parish Life Center.
They use their imaginations to put themselves into the drama of that
first Christmas Night. It makes the
birth of Christ real to them. The crèche
invites those of us who are adults to reflect on this incredible Mystery with
childlike faith.
Saint John describes
the birth of Jesus in his Gospel from a very different perspective. Instead of picturing the events of the birth,
he approaches the Mystery in a philosophical way. However, Saint John also invites us to use
our imagination and reflect on the Mystery of the Incarnation with childlike
simplicity. He tells us that the eternal
Word has become flesh and made his dwelling among us. In other words, Jesus Christ has pitched his
tent and dwells among us. The Word may
have become flesh two millennia ago. But
John says that the Incarnation is not just a past event, but is a present
reality. At that time, people of faith
saw his glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and
truth. He invites people of faith today
to use our eyes of faith and our childlike imagination to see that same glory
dwelling among us.
In a world
filled with so much darkness, so much strife, in a world divided among so many
different issues, it takes childlike faith to see this reality. With our ears, we have just heard the Good
News proclaimed in the Word of Good.
With our eyes, we see bread and wine transformed into the Body and Blood
of Christ. Much like children yearning
to hold the newborn Christ in their arms when they look on the crèche, we
actually hold his real presence in our hands when we receive Communion. We recall his words that where two or three
are gathered, he is present in our midst.
There are many more than two or three here! Nourished by this Real Presence, we leave
this Church to recognize how the Lord dwells in our midst.
The Word of
God and the carols we sing at Christmas suggest the image of marriage. God, our faithful spouse, has wedded heaven
with earth. God enters into this marital
union, not because we are perfect, but because God loves us in all our sins and
imperfections. In this marriage, we can
recognize the Lord’s presence in our ordinary lives and interactions with
others. We can recognize him in ways
that are completely surprising and unexpected.
We can recognize him today in the places where we gather. God has taken on our humanity, so that God
can gradually transform us into his divinity.
When that happens, the true light of the world shines more brightly in
the darkness of our world. Merry Christmas.
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